public speaking

“…at 7:48 a.m. on a Tuesday, I am showered, cleaned, shaved, pruned, fed, and deodorized, wearing a pressed shirt and shiny shoes, in a cab on my way to the San Francisco waterfront. I’m far from home, going to an unfamiliar place, and performing for strangers, three stressful facts that mean anything can happen…”
In this [...]

There is a right way and wrong way to use speaking notes when delivering a presentation. The wrong way is to read directly from your notes. The right way is to glance at them throughout your presentation to keep it on track.
I prefer to have speaking notes when I deliver presentations. Usually I just jot [...]

I used to have a terrible case of the “Ums.” That is — I had the ability to inject the word “um” into all of my speeches and presentations. When you listen to a person who uses ums, or sometimes ahs, speak, it is actually very distracting, particularly when you start to focus on it. [...]

Humor — when used effectively — is a great way to add a little zest to your presentation. If you are going to use humor though, it is important to know when and how to use it. Otherwise, it can have the reverse effect and alienate your audience.
Here are some tips to help you incorporate [...]

My vote is yes. In fact, I personally find it difficult not to inject one or two jokes into my presentations. Adding a bit of humor to a presentation or speech can really make the experience more pleasant for your audience. Incorporating bits of humor certainly does not mean that you are not serious about [...]